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Thursday, July 23, 2020, 18:05
Bayern is hungry, says ambitious Mueller
By Reuters
Thursday, July 23, 2020, 18:05 By Reuters

Bayern Munich's German forward Thomas Mueller scores the fourth goal for his team during the German first division Bundesliga football match VfL Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich on June 27, 2020 in Wolfsburg, northern Germany. (KAI PFAFFENBACH / POOL / AFP)

BERLIN - Determination seems to have taken hold of everyone at Bayern Munich's Saebener Strasse headquarters in the leafy suburb of Giesing.

Coming off a 3-0 win in the first duel against Chelsea in the Champions League, optimism seems to be high of finishing the job off in the upcoming home game

Ahead of its Champions League restart against Chelsea -- they will play the second leg of the last 16 tie against the London club on August 8, the reigning German Champion appears to be working as a high-tech machine with one cog seamlessly interreacting with the other so that Bavarian's big dream can become a reality.

It might be the most unusual season in the club's history as the team at the disposal of head coach Hansi Flick started its fourth preparation phase this season due to the interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALSO READ: Bayern Munich are Europe's restart kings

Nevertheless, Bayern hasn't lost sight of its objectives after a two-week vacation immediately after finishing the domestic season by winning the league and cup double. Nothing less than winning the Champions League is the club's next target.

An insatiable appetite for success seems to be propelling everyone forward. "The FCB is hungry, my friends," star striker Thomas Mueller wrote on social media channels.

Coach Flick is openly speaking about the Champions League crown. 2014 World Champion Manuel Neuer is talking about his team being full of ambition.

A detailed plan has been set up to go all the way to the Champions League's finals in Portugal, where the actual final will be played on August 23.

Coming off a 3-0 win in the first duel against the Blues, optimism seems to be high of finishing the job off in the upcoming home game.

Flick's team has taken up cyber training sessions until Thursday, followed by small group units and full team training this Sunday after several virus tests.

Flick claims it is manageable to battle on different front lines. "We know that one-leg games are far from easy, but we are prepared," the 55-year-old said.

"You need to be ready on the dot. I have full trust in my team doing the job properly as I see their determination in training sessions," Flick commented.

To possibly face Barcelona or Naples in the quarterfinals (August 14) and Manchester City in the semis is "not keeping our minds busy at present. All we think about is the clash against Chelsea," Flick emphasized.

READ MORE: Bayern thrash Leverkusen 4-2 to win 20th German Cup title

To get back up to speed, Bayern has organized a warm-up against the French side of Olympique Marseille on July 31, played on the club's ground. The club announced the game would be live-streamed.

"It might sound strange considering all the turbulence we had dealing with everything in this long season, but we can't wait to continue," Flick said.

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